


How Kankri's Life Litterally Exploded The Moment His Dad Died, The Story.

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-02 11:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5247029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I am so sorry, but this work is now being no longer continued. I really thought that I could finally finish one, but I no longer have an interest in writing this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Karkat looked up, making sure this was the right place. The house was old looking and looked like it wouldn’t survive a thunderstorm. He looked back at the piece of paper the man the man had given him at the funeral, having said the person living here would take care of him. It turned out that his brother had volunteered to. That was a surprise. His older brother Kankri hadn’t even talked to anybody since he had left three years ago, leaving every trace of where he was almost none existence. He was actually surprised that he was still in the neighborhood at all, seeing the bad relationship with him and his dad.

He knocked on the door and waited for a moment. The lights were on, so he had to be home. Karkat tried to ignore when he heard a loud crash and a boom before the door was thrown open a second later. His brother stood there, face black and smelling like fire. He wore a brown coat over the ever familiar red sweater. “Hell9? 9h, it’s just y9u.”

"WHOA."

“What are y9u staring at? Whatever, I have n9 time f9r that answer. Karkat, I need y9u help this instant!”

“NO, WHAT’S WITH THE-“Karkat was cut off as Kankri grabbed his arm and pulled him inside the strange looking building. Well, what a warm welcoming embrace from his older brother.

“I need y9ur help catching 9ne 9f my experiment’s that has g9tten l9se. It’s 9nly a small m9use, s9 I think we can find it pretty easily.” Kankri started crawling on the floor, looking ridiculous and searching for something that couldn’t have been that easy to fine. It was a mouse for crying out loud. It was like-

There was a mouse standing on the couch, and it was NOT small. It was about 50 times bigger than a mouse should have been. Its ear’s twitched as Kankri stood up… holding a crossbow? 

“WHAT THE HELL-“Karkat looked shocked as Kankri shot it, the arrow impaling itself through the mouse, thudding against the wall. The mouse screamed and died, blood starting to drip onto the couch, and Kankri turned to give him a smile.

“Thank y9u f9r all the help. I’ve 6een trying t9 kill that thing all day. Just an9ther failed experiment n9w.” He wiped off a bit of mouse blood that had splattered on his face, “S9, what are y9u d9ing here?!” He ran to the window’s, looking as if somebody was watching him. He turned, pointing the crossbow at him, “Are y9u here t9 steal my secret’s? Y9u w9rking f9r s9me69dy?”

“WHAT THE FUCK, NO! I CAME TO SEE IF I COULD STAY HERE FOR A LITTLE, SINCE DAD-“ Karkat held back the tear’s he hadn’t dare shed at the funeral, which Kankri of course, wasn’t there, “DAD, HE DIED.”

“Finally hit the 6ucket, that 9ld man? That’s a 6it sad, I didn’t even hear a69ut it.” Kankri sighed, but not one of grief, one of relief. He and his father never had gotten along until he moved away, which they both happily agreed to never see each other again. “Yes, y9u may stay here, 6ut that mean’s y9u will 6e exp9sed t9 my w9rk. D9n’t tell an s9ul a69ut anything y9u see here, and y9u my stay h9w ever l9ng y9u need.”

“OKAY THEN. YOU’RE TAKING DAD’S DEATH REALLY WELL.” Karkat said, as Kankri started cleaning up the blood mess. The mouse was no longer there, having somehow evaporated into thin air.

“Well, I d9n’t really care if he’s alive 9r dead at the m9ment, c9ncidering the relati9nship we have t9gether.” He was washing the blood off the couch, which for some reason was covered in plastic? Must be cause of the weird stuff he did. “6esides, after m9m died, we l9st anything we had 6etween each 9ther. I m9ved 9ut as s99n as p9ssi6le and we b9th agreed n9t t9 see each 9ther. The 9nly reas9n I’m still in the neigh69rh99d with that man just 6ecause I knew he w9uld die 6ef9re y9u were 9ut 9f sch99l. I calculated it. 6ut I was 9ff 6y a 6it I guess. I predicted him t9 die tw9 m9nth’s fr9m n9w.”

“YOU PREDICTED WHEN DAD WAS GOING TO DIE?! AND DIDN’T EVEN TELL HIM OR ME?!” Karkat said, in utter shock. He had stayed behind because he knew there dad was going to die, and didn’t even think of telling him!? What kind of ‘brother’ did that?!

"I didn’t think It was g9ing t9 6e all that imp9rant. "

“HOW WOULD THAT NOT BE FUCKING IMPORTANT!? IT WAS WHEN OUR DAD WAS GOING TO DIE! HOW IN FUCKING HELL’S NAME WOULD THAT NOT BE IMPORTANT?!” Karkat was really fucking pissed now. 

“‘9ur’ father? If anything, he was n9t my father. He was just an9ther man in my life that I d9n’t care a69ut.” Kankri said, jabbing the crossbow at his chest. The sharp part of it threatened to cut him if he moved. “He was y9ur father, n9t mine. Keep y9ur fact’s straight.” Kankri removed the cross bow and Karkat took a deep breath.

Both brother’s looked at each other for a while before Kankri wiped at the blood on his coat. “Well, I sh9uld pr96a6ly get myself cleaned up. You can l99k ar9und this place, since y9u’re g9ing t9 6e staying here. 6ut I tell y9u, d9nt’ g9 d9wn t9 the 6asment, unless y9u want t9 face dire c9nsequences.” With that, he gave him a small smile and ran up the pair of stairs that were to the left of the room. “I’ll 6e d9wn in ten minutes t9 make dinner!”

Okay, this was getting a bit confusing. His brother had just put a cross bow to his chest, and now he was saying he would be making dinner in a couple minutes? What had happened to his brother in these past years? He was acting different than he used to. He used to be very solid on the ‘no violence’ thing, but that must have died some time ago if he had the nerve to point a cross bow at him. And what the hell did he mean by secrets? Why would he basically threaten to shoot him about him stealing his secrets? Must have been something pretty big.

He looked around the smallish house for a little. It was decent, enough for it to be considered livable. He entered the dining room, seeing that this room was strangely normal compared to anywhere else. Every other room at had a least three marks proving that whatever Kankri was doing was there at least once. With such markings going from between arrow punctures to burn marks. What the hell was he doing any ways?

Kankri came down a few minutes later, lacking the coat thing and the blood on his face was washed away. “Have y9u washed y9ur hands?” Karkat put up his washed hands, having remembered that Kankri had a thing about being neat and clean. Some of that must have died to, seeing the conditions of the house. There was a window upstairs that needed to be repaired before it started snowing.

"G99d." Kankri walked into the kitchen, no doubt to probably start dinner.

“SO, YOU LEARNED TO COOK A BIT HU?”

“Yes. It is a need since I d9n’t live with any69dy, except f9r n9w. Y9u live here n9w.” Kankri dumped a box of pasta into a pot of boiling water.

“YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY SENSE.” 

“What d9 y9u mean 6y that?”

“YOU USED TO GO ON FOR HOURS ABOUT HOW SOMETHING WAS OFF OR WRONG, BUT NOW YOU CAN’T EVEN PUT YOUR SENTENCES IN THE RIGHT ORDER.” He laughed a little.

“I can t9! These past few years, I’ve learned t9 stay a little m9re quiet, since if I talked t9 much, the animal’s I w9rked 9n w9uld run away in fear. I had t9 6e quiet s9 they c9uld feel like I wasn’t a69ut t9 sta6 a needle int9 them.” Karkat shivered, phantomizing the pain of having a needle shoved into your arm. “Y9u l99k like y9ur c9ld. Put 9n a jacket 9r s9mething.”

“NAW, IM NOT COLD. JUST PHANTOMIZING THE PAIN A LITTLE.” 

“Phant9mizing pain?”

“IT’S WHERE WHEN SOMEBODY DESCRIBES PAIN, AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF FEEL IT. I STARTED PHANTOMIZING PAIN AFTER YOU LEFT.”

“Interesting.” Kankri stirred the pasta, not seeming to pay too much attention.

“YOU OKAY?” 

“Yes, I am, it’s just that it has 6een a REALLY l9ng time since I’ve c99ked anything with 9ut it 6l9wing up in my face.” 

With that said, Karkat took the wooden spoon he was using to stir from his hand, “WELL, I'M TAKING OVER THEN.”

“What! N9nsence! Give me 6ack the sp99n Karkat!” He attempted to take the spoon from him, but Karkat held it up in the air. He had grown a lot to in the past three years, now being much taller than his older brother.

“NOPE. I HAVE THE SPOON. I'M COOKING.” He smiled as his older brother sighed in frustration.

“I see y9ur c9nfident a69ut this. Y9u learn t9 c99k in the three year’s I ‘disappeared’?” Kankri took a seat on the chair next to the stove.

“YA. DAD WAS GONE A LOT, SO I KIND OF HAD TO LEARN.” 

“Interesting.”

“SO, WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO YOU THESE LAST THREE YEAR’S? YOU’RE A LOT DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE.”

“9h, I changed. I learned t9 keep t9 myself, t9 6e quieter as well. I m9ved t9 the edge 9f the neigh69rh99d s9 I c9uld still keep an eye 9n y9u and dad. N969dy lives in the h9uses next t9 this 9ne, and my experiments expl9de an l9t, s9 I decided why n9t? I m9ved in here, where I’ve 6een a6le t9 keep private. I d9n’t think any69dy really kn9ws if I’m here 9r n9t.”

“SO, NOBODY KNOWS YOU’RE HERE, YOU’VE BEEN ANTI SOCIAL FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND YOU STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO COOK?” Karkat said, making both of them laugh a little.

“Apparently s9.”

“YOU TALK A LOT LESS THAN YOU USED TO. ITS KIND OF NICE, AND SAD AT THE SAME TIME.”

“H9w it is sad?”

“YOU USED TO HAVE SUCH A BIG OPTION, AND YOU TOLD EVERYBODY THAT YOU WOULD PROVE TO THEM THAT EVERYBODY WAS EQUAL. YOU SWORE ON YOUR NAME THAT YOU WOULD PROVE IT TO ALL OF THEM.”

“And I am. I’m creating thing’s t9 make the w9rld a 6etter place. I’m pr9ving t9 every9ne that I can change the w9rld.”

“BY NOT LETTING ANYBODY KNOW THAT YOU’RE EVEN STILL ALIVE.”

“In a way.”

“WAIT, I WAS JUST GUESSING. NOBODY KNOW’S YOUR EVEN ALIVE?!”

“I haven’t talked t9 any69dy since I left. Did y9u think I was alive?”

“WELL...” Karkat thought about it. There were times where he questioned if his brother was even alive, not hearing him at all during the past three years. He would sometimes ask his dad, but all he got was an ‘I don’t know’ or an ‘I don’t care’. “KIND OF”

“Then n969dy kn9w’s I’m alive. It’s final.”

Karkat turned off the heat to the stove, the pasta being done by now. He drained the water out, setting it on the table, one of the only furniture that didn’t have plastic on it. Both sat down at opposite ends of the table, kind of just staring at each other for a moment.

“SO, YOU LITERALLY DISSAPERED FOR THREE YEARS?”

“Yes. I did. N9t that I find anything wr9ng with it.”

“WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIEND’S?”

“Eh, we all went 9ur separate way’s, me 6eing the first t9 c9ntinue 9n with my life. I d9n’t kn9w what happened t9 any 9f them.” Both brother’s served themselves, and ate in silence. Karkat had to think about that. Why did Kankri just throw his entire social life away after leaving? He used to correct people and put down social justice on Tumblr and Facebook, but soon after he left, both of his accounts were deleted. He couldn’t get a hold of him on his phone or anything.

Must have been the secret thing that he almost ended up with an arrow in his chest for.

After a while of awkward silken, his phone vibrated in his pocket. 

“If y9u wish t9 talk t9 s9me69dy 9n y9ur cellular device, then take it 9utside.”

“FINE.”

He quickly walked outside, then answered his phone.

“Hey Kar.” Said a very British like accent on the other end. 

“HEY ERIDAN.”

“I heard wwhat happened wwith your dad. Sorry.”

“IT’S FINE. HE WASN’T DOING WELL ANYWAY’S.”

“So, havve you found anywwere to stay yet? Wwe alwway’s havve a guest room if you need it.”

“NAW. THEY SENT ME TO LIVE WITH MY ASS HOLE OF A BROTHER.”

“Kankri?”

“YA.”

“So, you’re no longer in towwn of something?”

“NO I LIVE HERE STILL. YOU KNOW THAT PLACE AT THE END OF TOWN, WHERE IT LOOKS REALLY OLD AND HARDLY ANYBODY LIVES HERE OR COMES HERE?”

“Ya.”

“YA, I’M LIVING THERE WITH HIM NOW. HE CHANGED SO MUCH I DON’T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE.”

“Wwell, I’ll see ya tomorroww at school. Cro’s finally finished up this idiot’s tattoo.”

“BYE”

Eridan hung up and he went back inside. Dang, it was getting cold, even though it was only the beginning of November. It felt a little warmer in the house, but not by much. 

“WHY IS IT SO FUCKING COLD IN HERE?!”

“6ecasue It is a 9lder h9use, s9 it d9sen’t have all the things that a newer h9use w9uld.” Kankri walked into the living room, sweater now sopping wet. “I washed the dishes and put the left 9ver’s in the fridge. I have t9 6e up early in the m9rning, s9 g99d night t9 y9u, ‘little-ish’ br9ther.” Kankri walked up stairs.

Why did his brother have to be so weird? It’s like he didn’t trust him, which he probably didn’t. And what the hell was up with this secret’s thing? Kankri had been so protective before, when he said he thought that somebody hired to him to find them out. Maybe he should find out? Ya that would be perfectly fine. Kankri couldn’t hid it forever.

He quietly went down stairs. It was poorly lit down here, it having a smaller hallway as well. There was a single door at the end of it, which sadly to his finding, was locked. On the door it wrote, ‘LAB 24’. Was there multiple labs or something? He would have to find out tomorrow. He went upstairs to the couch, (since the window in the guest room was broken, and no way would he be able to sleep with all that wind hitting him) and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

“Cro, you almost done?” Eridan whined, as Cronus continued to carefully make the design on Rufioh’s arm.

“Ya, ya. Calm your fucking horses. I’ll be done in a moment.” Cronus replied in a mumble.

“Eh, sorry 1f 1m a bother. 1 just really needed to get th1s scar covered before Tavros and Horuss fl1p the1r sh1t.” Rufioh said kind of nervous. He came in half an hour ago, having a yet another deep cut scar from Damara. Porrim must have sewn it up, because it seemed pretty fresh.

“Nawv, it ain’t a bother. Just helping an 8rother out, ya knowv.” He continued on the tattoo, “So hovw is you a Horuss going? Ya knowv, vwith 8oth of ya getting married in a couple vweeks.”

“Great actually! Porr1m and Meenah have helped us out a lot w1th th1s. They sa1d that we had no 1dea how to do a proper wedding, and Porr1m has her paper’s so she can be a proper m1n1ster, so everyth1ng should be set for the b1g day!” Rufioh smiled, “So, how’s your love l1fe go1ng?”

“Eh, not so vwell. Evwerybody’s getting married at the moment, and I don’t evwen havwe a lovwe life anymore.” He focused on the tattoo. It was a sewn up heart, which was kind of sweet, knowing that Horuss loved the image of hearts, no matter what condition.

“What happened to ya? You used to be to be the smooth guy of the group, ask1ng ch1cks out, go1ng all ‘Grease’ and stuff.”

“Eh, thing’s change.”

“St1ll 1n love w1th the sweater dude? He left a long t1me ago dude. Three year’s. You should forget h1m already and f1nd yourself a g1rl! Or boy, wh1ch ever way you choose.”

Cronus finished up the tattoo, and Rufioh left, it getting dark by now and not wanting to worry Tavros and Horuss more than he probably already was. He knew he should forget about Kankri, but he really couldn’t. It’s like he burned himself a place in his mind. If he ever saw him again, he would probably punch out his teeth for making himself so important in his life.

“Ya, ya. See you tomorroww Karkat.” Eridan hung up his cell phone, walking back into the back of the shop, where he was currently cleaning up. 

“So, your friend find a place to stay?” He had heard that Mr. Vantas hit the bucket a couple days ago when he got hit by a drunk driver. Kankri hadn’t been there at the funeral either. Sure he knew they didn’t get along, but still. He and his dad didn’t get along either, but he would at least show up at the funeral if he died.

“Ya. He did. He’s staying with family.” Eridan sighed, “At least he’s still got some left.”

“Ya, lucky him.” He growled, thinking of Kankri again. If anything the rest of them knew, he was probably dead in some other country. Like, he used to be fine! Then he went all mad and said he was going to prove to everybody that he could prove them wrong. Wrong about what!? They weren’t doubting him at all! He was almost a fucking genius the last time he saw him, and there was no way you could tell him he was wrong without getting an entire lecture of facts on how you were so fucking wrong shoved down your throat. But that was off topic, pay attention Cronus!

He turned out the light’s, locking up shop. He had to get this guy home so he could get to bed, or his stupid teacher would be calling again about how he fell asleep in class. Thought’s calls were annoying as fuck, especially since his teacher was Meenah. Like, how? How of all things did she get a job as a teacher?!

“Hey Cro? Could wwe stop at Feferi’s house reel-y quickly? I need to givve her some-fin.” Eridan said, getting into the passenger seat of the car. Cronus got in and looked at the bundle of daises he had in his hand. Eh, he must have been in love or something.

“Eh, special girl?”

“Yea, actually. I reel-y reel-y like her.” Eridan blushed bright red. “I don’t wwant Sollux to steal her awway this time.”

“Eh, the Captor kid? Might wvant to givwe him a chance don’t you think?” He started the car, and began driving.

“Haha! That’s like me telling you to get along wwith Mituna.”

“Eh, then ignore the last thing I said then.”

“WWill do Cro.”

After a while, he stopped in front of the Peixes house. It didn’t look much different than it did when Meenah moved out, it still being its ugly looking fuchsia color. It just made shivers run down his spine, and not the ones you sung about. 

“wwell, wwish me luck!” Eridan gave him a big smile before running out and heading to the house. He watched as the guy ended up tripping on his cape and falling face first on the yard. Eridan quickly recovered, standing up and walking up to the door. A girl answered. She had long brown hair and pink-ish looking glasses. Heh, he could see pretty much perfectly now that he decided to wear contact’s and didn’t have to feel stupid wearing his glasses.

After watching both of them talk for a moment, Eridan returned to the car, a big goofy smile on his face.

“Vwhat she do? Did she kiss you or something?”

“Heh, you wwould know nothing about kissing, Mr. King of the virgin’s. And no, she didn’t kiss me. I asked her out on a date this Saturday, and she said yes!” 

“Congratulations.” He started the way home now, trying to think. 

Everybody was going on dates or getting married. He did used to be the big flirt of the group, until a certain somebody taught him that nobody was going to go out with him if continued acting like that. Sure, he was still a huge flirt still, but just not as much as he used to. He looked less desperate. Uggg…. Why did you have to disappear Kankri? 

After a while of awkward silence, they finally reached home. Or at least Eridan’s. He had moved out a few weeks after graduation, after getting a job at the tattoo parlor. His father insisted on him staying here while he watched Eridan, and he wouldn’t be back for another week. 

“Eh, finally!” Eridan got out of the car, Cronus following after a moment. “I’m just going to go to bed, since I know you don’t want Meenah to call you tomorroww about me fallin’ asleep in class again.”

“Ya, I vwould rather not hear her at all.” Cronus sighed as they walked in to the perfectly clean house. How did his dad keep it this way? Like, everything he kept around was almost perfect. No wonder he was happy enough when he left. Thanks a lot dad. 

“Night Cro.”

“Night Eri.” 

Eridan went upstairs’ to his room, and he layed down on the couch. He absolutely refused to sleep in the guest room. He quickly subsided any other thoughts besides the one that scream at him to cover himself in a blanket since it was supposed to be cold tonight, and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

“KANKRI! IM GOING TO SCHOOL!” 

“Fine. Jesus, y9u need t9 quiet d9wn.” Kankri said, washing the breakfast dishes.

“Karkat walked in, confused, “DID YOU JUST SWEAR?”

“Yes, is there a pr96lem with that? G9 t9 sch99l. If y9u d9n’t leave n9w, y9ur g9ing t9 6e late f9r sch99l, s9 sh99. I w9n’t 6e ar9und in the h9use when y9u c9me 6ack.”

“YOU’VE CHANGED SO FUCKING MUCH.” He heard Karkat say as the front door slammed, now leaving him alone in silence. He sighed, pondering his brother’s words. Yes he had changed quite a bit, hadn’t he? 

He finished up washing the dishes and headed outside. IT was cold, actually starting to show a little. He looked down the old street. No cars. No nothing. Nobody was ever coming down this way unless they were leaving town or coming in, and how really wanted to come to this part of town anyway? It was old and risky, anything could happen.

A small smile spread across his face. That was the reason he came here in the first place. Nobody would come, nobody would bother him. Sure, that technically meant that he was dead from the world, nobody knowing of his existence here, but he didn’t care. He was too busy to with his work to be disturbed by old acquaintances or family. 

Then why did he take in Karkat?

He had to think why he did it again. He could have simply stayed quiet and let them take him to their uncle and aunt’s house, but he didn’t he spoke up a few days before the actual death of their father, saying that if anything happened to him before Karkat turned 18, he would take him in. Maybe it was because he wanted somebody around? No, if he wanted that, he would have never left. He would find out later.

His ear’s perked up a little as he heard what he was looking for. A small squeak. The unmistaken able sound of a mouse. He need to catch more since his last bunch ended up dying in failed experiments. Even though he did feel like a barbarian catching them with his hands. Well that was the only way he could catch them alive, so he would deal with it or now.

The critter was small, cleaning it’s whiskers by the no longer working hose. He walked up slowly, starting to get onto his hands and knees. He crawled towards it, and it didn’t even try to run when he caught it with both hands.

Sighing, he put it in the small glass box he put on the porch earlier. One down, eleven more to go. This was going to take a while.

\----------------------------------

 

“Cro, I’m wwalking to school wwith Kar.” Eridan said, pointing to his friend which barley was walking past their house. That was kind of weird. Their- no, Eridan’s home was possibly the farthest anybody had to walk to actually get to the school they went to. What was he doing over here? Maybe he came by to pick up Eridan?

“Fine, I’m headed to vwork anyvway’s.”

“No you’re not. The shop called a wwhile ago wwhile you wwere asleep and all. They don’t wwant anybody to come in today since there doing repairs or wwhatevver.” Eridan rolled his eyes and threw his backpack over his shoulder and headed out to walk with Karkat.   
Cronus sighed and slumped on the couch. Now since the shop was closed down for the day, he had absolutely nothing to do. Uggg… he should of went to college or something like his dad told him to, then he could at least have job that wasn’t closing down all the damn time. He sighed and grabbed the key’s leaving a note on the breakfast table for Eridan that he was on walk. He quickly looked over it, then threw it away. He wasn’t going to be out that long. It was just a dumb walk, to get some fresh air.

He started walking in the opposite direction of where Eridan went to school. Maybe Rufioh was right. Maybe he just need to accept that Kankri was probably dead somewhere and move on with his life. Ya, that’s just what he would do. He would move on, and maybe find a nice girl or guy and settle down a little. Get some control over his life. It couldn’t be too hard right?

He continued walking around, looking over the neighborhood. It seemed that in this direction, it got older and older. Houses looked really old, or falling apart. Window’s smashed, door’s barley on their hinges, it just looked really, really, well… kind of sad in a way.

He stopped as somebody crashed into his legs.

“9h my! I am s9 s9rry! I didn’t really see y9u there, crawling 9n the gr9und and stuff. I h9pe I didn’t disturb whatever y9u were d9ing in this part 9f the neigh69rh99d.” Spoke who ever crashed into him, as they stood up. The guy was shorter than him by a couple inches, and he adjusted the glasses on his face. His hair was a brownish color and he wore a brown coat over whatever was under it. He also held a mouse in his hands.

“Navw, it’s fine really. I vwas just vwalking around, trying to get some fresh air and stuff.” Cronus shrugged, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

“N9, I really d9 feel resp9nsi6le f9r this c9llisi9n. I’m n9t really used t9 pe9ple c9ming 9n this side 9f the niegh699rh99d. I guess I just g9t used t9 it’s l9nlyness.” The guy said, looking as if he wasn’t really sure if he meant to words coming out of his mouth. Cronus chuckled a little.

“Vwell, I actually should start heading back novw.” Cronus looked at the watch on his wrist. It was claiming he had been out for almost an hour, but it hadn’t felt like it. 

“Well then, I guess it was nice t9 meet y9u.” The man said, before walking off. Cronus smiled to himself as he began to walk back to where he was staying for now. That guy was kind of cute, but seemed a little confused to be around him. He also felt familiar for some reason…

 

//I apologize now for the lack of update and the shortness of this chapter.\\\


	4. Chapter 4

Well, that was kind of strange.

He actually had been able to catch the last mouse easily, as with all the others. It’s like they all had just given up life or something. But he hadn’t been expecting to crash into anybody, or actually encounter anybody at all. 

Kankri had crashed into them after catching the mouse. “9h my! I am s9 s9rry! I didn’t really see y9u there, crawling 9n the gr9und and stuff. I h9pe I didn’t disturb whatever y9u were d9ing in this part 9f the neigh69rh99d.” He stood up, and adjusted the glasses he had to use now.

“Navw, it’s fine really. I vwas just vwalking around, trying to get some fresh air and stuff.” The stranger shrugged, putting his hands in his leather jacket. 

“N9, I really d9 feel resp9nsi6le f9r this c9llisi9n. I’m n9t really used t9 pe9ple c9ming 9n this side 9f the niegh699rh99d. I guess I just g9t used t9 it’s l9nlyness.” He lied to the stranger, looking down at his hands. He couldn’t believe he was lying now. How far had he fallen in the last three years? 

“Vwell, I actually should start heading back novw.” The stranger said, looking down at the watch he wore on his wrist. 

“Well then, I guess it was nice t9 meet y9u.” He said, finally getting the nerve to walk away from the conversation. The mouse in his hands was squirming around and it wasn’t really grossing him out, but he hoped it was excuse enough to leave without offending them. They seemed nice enough. 

For a person.

He put the mouse in the small glass box, putting the wire top back on. He walked into his house, and couldn’t help but feel as if he were being watched. He simply shook the feeling off and closed the front door, locking it. Kankri went down to the basement, where his Lab was.  
Lab 24. He didn’t know why he had actually named his small lab that. Eh, why did he care either? He entered, the mice in the glass box making a big fuss of scurrying around and making a bunch of annoying squeaks.

The most annoying thing about being a scientist. The lab wouldn’t send in animals for you to experiment on, but you had to catch or buy them yourself. And since he hardly every went into town except to buy food, (but dressed up so nobody would actually notice him) he ended up having to catch them himself. Luckily, this place in town had mice everywhere, so he was good for now.

He closed and locked the door to his lab, putting the box on one of the many white tables. He couldn’t really say that his lab was big, but it was the cleanest part of the house. Kankri sighed and went to the table near the back corner, when the majority of the chemicals in here were. He just had to complete this dumb little growth shot thing, but it hadn’t been working out very well. 

Quickly, he grabbed a small needle from the table drawer, and a big one from on top of the table. This little mouse was hopefully going to be the one to end this dead end experiment. 

\-----------------------

Karkat heard it probably about a block away from the house. An explosion. He was going to have to get used to the noise wasn’t he? He quickly ran home, hoping that Kankri wasn’t dead somewhere.

“ASS HOLE IS GOING TO GET HIMSELF KILLED ONE DAY. I SWEAR TO GOD.” Karkat grumbled to himself, walking into the house. Everything seemed to be exactly like it was before he left, perfectly clean and in order. If it weren’t for the rest of the fucking house, then maybe he would actually call this place decent. 

“9h, umm… hell9 y9unger 6r9ther! I didn’t think that I w9uld see y9u s9 s99n.” Kankri said, coming up from downstairs, his face covered in what hopefully was mouse blood or something. It looked like at some point today Kankri just literally set himself on fire though. His face was covered in soot and mouse guts, his lab coat was blackish and burnt, and his hair was smoldering. Great, just great.

“DID YOU SET YOURSELF ON FIRE OR SOMETHING? YOU LOOK LIKE FUCKING SHIT.” He said, putting his backpack in the corner. 

“Why are y9u h9me this early?” Kankri looked at the clock on the wall, the only clock in the house that wasn’t broken. “Y9u sh9uln’d 6e 6ack f9r an9ther tw9 h9urs.”

“IT’S FRIDAY DUMBASS. I GET OUT EARLY.”

“Please watch h9w y9u speak t9 me. I d9n’t like 6e sw9rn at, as much as y9u w9uldn’t like a needle in y9ur arm and expl9de.” Wait, was his brother threatening him? Another change. Sigh.  
“FINE, I’LL WATCH MY LANGUAGE AS LONG AS YOU STOP THREATENING MY LIFE.” 

“Agreed. Umm… I’ll start dinner 9r s9mething? N9t sure what t9 d9, since I accidentally ended up killing all 12 9f my mice in the past six h9urs.” Kankri sighed, grabbing a book off on the shelves. It was Peter Pan, one of the book’s that his friend Tavros really liked. He sighed and sat down on the couch, flipping to a random page and began to read.

“SO, YOU GET ANY CLOSER ON WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON?” Karkat asked, taking a seat next to his brother. Kankri simply nodded his head no and continued to read the book. “ARE YOU DEPRESSED OR SOMETHING? YOU SEEM REALLY OUT OF IT.”

“N9, I’m n9t depressed! Why w9uld y9u c9me t9 that c9nclusi9n!?” His brother snapped at him, closing the book, turning to face him. “If anything, that is the exact 9pp9site 9f h9w I am feeling. I feel great actually. I’ve just 6een a little… distracted t9day I guess. I ap9l9gize f9r snapping at y9u in such a manner.” Kankri sighed.

“NO, IT’S FINE.” Karkat said, patting his brother on the shoulder a little. “YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT’S DISTRACTING YOU?”

“I guess s9. I think it might make me feel a little 6etter.” Kankri sighed and sat up straight. “Well, I was c9llecting mice t9day as I usually d9, and I kind 9f… ran int9 s9me69dy.”

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT?”

“Well, he felt like s9me69dy that I used t9 kn9w. It felt really weird. I just can’t get him 9ut 9f my head. Wh9 d9es he l99k like that I used to kn9w? Why d9n’t I remem6er wh9 that person is? Has it been s9 l9ng that I can’t even remember the faces 9f th9ugh’s I 9nce was friends with? It’s just driving me nuts.” Kankri sighed once again, putting a hand to his fore head. 

“YOU LOOK LIKE YOU NEED TO LAY DOWN AND THINK ABOUT THIS.” Karkat said, standing up. “YOU GO REST OR SOMETHING, WASH THE SOOT AND ASH OFF YOUR FACE, AND I’LL MAKE DINNER TONIGHT. SOUND ALRIGHT WITH YOU?”

“Ya, that actually s9und’s l9vely. I’m just g9ing t9 g9 lay d9wn and think a69ut this. May6e then I’ll 6e a6le t9 d9 my w9rk with9ut any distacti9ns. Thank y9u Karkat.” Kankri stood up and walked upstairs, and Karkat took a deep breath. 

Living with this guy was going to be harder than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Testing.... Testing... This an end note. There was no purpose in reading this end note....


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Cro.” Eridan said as he walked in, looking very tired and very bored. “I’vve got homewwork and Meenah say’s hi.”

“Strange. Meenah ain’t that nice to me. Vwhat did she really say?” Cronus asked as he strummed a few cord’s on his guitar. Today had been going by really slow after he got home. He was bored out of his mind by now.

“You knoww dad wwould kill me if I said wwhat she told me.” He sat down at the coffee table and pulled out his math book, which looked like it would kill a cat if he dropped it. 

“Eh, does it look like I’m dad?”

“No, but I don’t wwant to say it either.”

“Fine. So, howv did school go?”

“It vwent fine I guess. I had to dance vwith Vris during Gym. There making us learn hovw to fucking dance! Vwhat kind of tragedy is this!” Eridan whined as he pulled out a piece of paper with multiple problems. What the hell were they trying to teach these kids? How to be a math teacher or something?

“I first tried to dance vwith Feferi, but that stupid Sol came and asked if she vwanted to dance vwith him! Vwhat a desperate player. Plus, his girlfriend vwas Aradia vwas right there to see it all! Vwhat kind of jerk does that do his ovwn girl?” Eridan huffed as he began the first few problems. 

“Umm… I think vwe both knovw a fevw.” Cronus laughed a little.

“But that’s different. Damara and Porrim are dating and Horuss and Rufioh are getting married soon. They didn’t havve any problems there. Plus, Rufioh did it in secret for a wwhile. Sol literally came up as just asked her to dance! Aradia looked really angry to. I wwould havve asked to dance, but Vris had to come up and ask. And she only did it since wwhen ever wwere stuck together, she steps on my feet!”

“That’s vwhat Serket’s do Danny-o.”

“It’s just frustrating me.” Eridan said as he straightened his paper a little, already half way done with the work sheet. Wow, apparently anger can help a person concentrate. 

“At least you still got you date vwith the Peixes, right? He can’t take her from you there.” Cronus said optimistically. Eridan smiled a moment as the home phone went off from the kitchen. “I got that.” 

Cronus walked into the very clean kitchen and answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hey. Is Eridan there? I need to talk to him.” Said a familiar voice. But who exactly was it? It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t figure out.

“Sure, he’s here. One sec.” He put his hand over the receiver, “Eridan, it’s for you!”

“Reel-y? Nobody calls me.” Eridan walked in and took the phone from his hand, “Hello? Oh hey Davve.” 

Cronus walked out of the kitchen, letting him have his conversation in privacy. Eridan didn’t get many calls, probably because he had plenty of great friends at school or something. Well, besides Sollux, but their families didn’t really get along very much anyways. He couldn’t stand Mituna, and their dad couldn’t stand Mr. Captor, whatever his first name was. 

He heard a click as the phone was hung up and Eridan walked into the living room, a smile on his face. 

“Vwhat is it Danny-o?”

“I got asked on a date. By Davve Strider.” Eridan’s smiled grew a little more as he let out a little squeal like a middle school girl or a Lejion. And Cronus really couldn’t blame him. The Strider’s were the coolest guy’s in town, and to be asked out by one of them, especially if you wore a cape all the time and thought magic was real, it had to be a big honor. 

“Congratulation Danny-o.”

“Wwait. Wwhat about Fef?!” Eridan said, getting very panicky. Cronus mentally slapped himself for a moment. The kid had already asked somebody out, and then he got asked out by somebody else. How the fuck does one deal with that. It’s not like it ever actually happened to him before.

“Ummm… take her out on night, and then take him out the other? It’s not like their your girlfriend or boyfriend yet, so it doesn’t really matter if you go on date on night, and another on the other.” Cronus shrugged, that being the best thing he could think up of. Eridan nodded a little, “I guess so. I’m going out with her Friday and he asked if we could go out Saturday, so I guess it all wworks out. Thanks Cro.” He gave him a little smile and returned to doing his homework. 

“You really like her, hu?” 

“Kind of. She’s my best friend to, so I hope that she doesn’t think it’s awwkwward.”

“Well, she already said yes, so it can’t end up being that awvkwvard.”

“I hope so.”

Cronus ruffled his hand through his younger brother’s hair. “You wvorry too much.”

“Wwell, it’s not like I flirt wwith evverybody I meet.” 

“Hey! I don’t do that anymore! Vwell… at least not as much.” Cronus said, laughing a little. Eridan let out a giggle, starting to put his homework away. He let out a sigh of relief as the cat killing math book was put away. Well, at least this today wasn’t a complete waste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in need of a good Beta Reader/Editor. If anyone is interested please let me know via Inbox.


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